Aloys Wobben, a German electrical engineer and entrepreneur, is worth $3.9 billion.
Germany’s “Mr.” was Wobben, who acquired his vast wealth as the founder of Enercon, a wind tribune manufacturer.
Since then, “Wind” has been a part of our lives.
Born in Rastdorf, Lower Saxony in Germany on January 22, 1952, Bernhard Wobben spent his early life exploring water and wind.
Wobben began his education in an electrical engineering company and studied electrical engineering at the Fachhochschule Osnabrück and then at the Technical University of Braunschweig. In 1984, he founded Enercon, which became the fifth largest company in the industry, as its owner and manager.
He employed his business acumen to steer clear of Enercon’s typical cash-flow and board room difficulties.
The company, which is privately held and has a 60% market share in Germany, does not rent its turbines in the U.S. and had revenues estimated at $5.34 billion in 2012.
In October 2012, Aloys Wobben retired from Enercon and transferred his 100% stake to the Aloys Wobben Foundation through a family trust due to health issues.